Gas Flaring and Residential Burning Possibly Spurring Arctic Ice Melt: A Study

Gas flaring and residential burning contributes a greater amount of black carbon to the Arctic than previously believed, possibly increasing the amount of ice melt taking place in the region.

The discovery, made by a team from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), was based on the particle dispersion model FLEXPART and emissions estimates calculated using the IIASA Gains model. The team also gathered measurements of black carbon in the Arctic through a number of research sites and a research cruise.

Furthermore, the study incorporated detailed regional data regarding the location of gas flaring emissions, improving on past estimates that either relied on regional averages or ignored them entirely.

"We are seeing more and more oil being extracted further and further north. And the proximity of emissions from gas flaring matters," explained co-author Zbigniew Klimont.

Based on their research, the scientists were able to paint a more precise picture regarding the seasonal variability in black carbon concentrations.

In doing so, they found that gas flaring from oil extraction in the Arctic accounts for roughly 42 percent of the black carbon concentrations in the Arctic. However, this number that fluctuates based on the time of the year. For example, the study found that during March, flaring accounts for more than half of black carbon concentrations near the surface.

Globally, on the other hand, gas flaring is believed to account for just 3 percent of black carbon emissions.

The study further uncovered a greater amount of black carbon pollution derived from residential combustion than previously believed -- a trend the researchers were able to uncover after incorporating seasonal differences into the model.

Black carbon, also known as soot, speeds the melting of ice and snow by rendering it darker, thus causing it to absorb a greater amount of sunlight. It is known to increase atmospheric temperatures as well, once again by absorbing heat from the sun. According to the researchers, its presence may be one reason Arctic sea ice has declined faster than predicted by climate models, hitting new record lows in 2007 and 2012.